I've wanted to convert to Linux for many years now, because I hate Microsoft with all the passion of a million white-hot suns. When I learned that Microsoft will stop offering support for Windows XP in April, which is the OS my netbook came with, I decided it's a sign that the time has come to make the change.

So... I downloaded Ubuntu Desktop 12.04. I tried to run the wubi .exe file, but I got an error message:
Cannot install into C:\ubuntu
There is another file or directory with this name.
Please remove it before continuing.
For more information, please see the log file: c:\docume~1...\wubi-12.04.4-rev280.log

I tried to remove every file with ubuntu or wubi as part of its name, but when I tried again to install I still couldn't get it to work. How do I get the installation to succeed?

(My browser is Google Chrome, if that helps. Also, the netbook doesn't have a CD drive and I don't have a USB stick, so what I really want is to install Ubuntu from website or my netbook's hard drive.)

You can install it alongside Windows from virtual machine. Just add real disk into that machine and boot it from CD. If you will be careful, it will work. But I strongly recommend you to buy USB stick (2GB minimal), make it Ubuntu installation stick (good tool: Ubuntu Universal Installer) then boot from it and install Ubuntu.
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DanatelaFeb 25 '14 at 5:58

Suggestion for which *buntu version to install: 1GB RAM + 12GB SSD means you can install whatever you want as long as it's the 32-bit version, but I would go with Xubuntu 32-bit to take fullest advantage fast performance of the SSD. There is a Long Term Support release of Ubuntu scheduled to be released in another 2 months, if you want to upgrade to that. For more info about the full Ubuntu install, NOT wubi, not net install: askubuntu.com/questions/350283/….
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karelFeb 25 '14 at 8:08